Gokaigers go to High School
by Little Goose Girl
Summary: Just a random take on what could happen when the Gokaigers go to Moroboshi High School… written before episode 39 airs, to give Marvelous/Luka and Joe/Ahim shippers something to go on with.
1. Glasses

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Sentai or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K

**Summary:** Just a random take on what could happen when the Gokaigers go to Moroboshi High School… written before episode 39 aired, to give Marvelous/Luka and Joe/Ahim shippers something to go on with.

**A/N: **See, the problem with being up to date with Gokaiger episodes and not having school or much work means that I have WAAAY too much time for thinking up stupid stories. Now, these stories would usually just be for my own amusement, and would otherwise never see the light of day, but given my current mission, I am willing to risk public ridicule. All for a good cause.

**A/N2: **I know I have another chapter story going, and a fan request pending, so I apologise for delaying them for those who are waiting, but this one won't leave me alone! And it kinda needs to be finished before Sunday, when it will all become null and void.

**GOKAIGERS GO TO HIGH SCHOOL**

**Chapter 1: Glasses**

Joe didn't know how they kept getting roped into these situations. It was as though the past Super Sentai heroes had a sick sense of humour… or a finely attuned hunger for torture. This latest exploit involved dressing as high school students—no, more than that, actually _being_ high school students in order to obtain the next ultimate power.

What was most alarming of all was the enthusiasm of all the others about getting to go to an Earth high school. When Kenta Date told them he felt they needed the experience to truly understand the Megarangers' ultimate power, Joe had scoffed. He had looked across at Captain Marvelous, who was similarly smirking. There was no chance either of them was going to take part in this particular excursion. Doc and Ahim had discovered enough powers on their own, they could do it again.

This unspoken understanding was shattered barely a moment later. "What? High school?" Luka had exclaimed with shiny eyes, clasping her hands together in joy. "I've always wanted to see what a real school looks like!" She lost some of her enthusiasm when she asked: "We won't have to sit any tests, will we?" with a raised eyebrow.

"The _whole_ experience," Kenta said with a twinkling smile. "Of course, if you learn the lesson fast enough, you might be lucky and get out of here before any outcomes."

"Why, schooling sounds like a lovely idea," Ahim said warmly. "It's been so long since I've opened a scholarly book. It shall be interesting to see how it is done on Earth."

"I'm in," Luka said enthusiastically. Joe couldn't figure out what her angle was—no way would Luka voluntarily go to school, or be so happy about it. Something was up.

"We're all in," Marvelous said, clapping Joe and Doc on the shoulders. "Enrol us now."

"_What?_" Joe demanded, but other than a sympathetic look from Ahim, he got no response.

Joe could understand the others wanting to go to school. Gai said he'd never been very popular at school—Joe could easily believe that—and wanted a chance to be popular, now that he was Gokai Silver. Ahim was so fascinated by everything the people on Earth did, and she'd never been to school, even on Famille. As a princess, she'd been taught by private tutors. Doc, well—Doc just seemed to tag along wherever Ahim and Gai went.

Luka was a bit more of a mystery, but Joe believed she had some ulterior motive, so chose not to even think about her reasoning. But that Captain Marvelous should be so enthusiastic about it, and demand they all go together—that was what had Joe seriously worried. And annoyed.

* * *

><p>"No, I'm not going," Joe said sternly.<p>

"Come on, Joe," Gai pleaded. "We're going to be late!"

"I look ridiculous." He looked at himself in the mirror again. Joe had no problem with uniforms, but the blazer just felt so unnatural.

"It's a school uniform! Everyone looks the same. Come on, come on!"

Joe was adamant he was not going to leave his cabin, but a moment later, Gai had burst in and was pushing him towards the door.

"Hey!" Joe protested, but it was no use. Sullenly, he went to join the others waiting in the main cabin. As was to be expected, Doc and Ahim were dressed impeccably, with neat uniforms, all the buttons done up, and—were they _glasses_ Doc was wearing?

Feeling Joe's stare, Doc turned to smile at him sheepishly, with more than just a hint of misery. "Gai insisted," he said.

"Ah, admiring Doc's glasses, are you?" Gai beamed. "I thought they would really complete his look. See? They look great! But don't worry, Joe! I have a second pair, so you get to wear them too!"

"No!" was Joe's stunned response. Luka, who was looking down at herself sullenly, perked up at this. The vacant grin on her face told Joe she was picturing how he'd look with Doc's thick-rimmed glasses on, which in turn created an unwanted mental image for Joe. He refused to look like _that_.

"But I picked these ones out for you," Gai looked disappointed. Joe didn't care. No way was he going to be wearing any glasses to school. This was already enough of a sham as it was. Gai was standing forlornly, the rimless glasses hanging limply in his hand.

"Mr Joe," Ahim began, turning to him and smiling beseechingly. "Will you not wear the lovely spectacles Gai has picked out especially for you?"

"No," Joe answered. Especially not when she was calling them "spectacles".

"Are you sure?" Ahim smiled at him again. He knew what she was trying to do. It wasn't going to work. "I am sure they would make you look very refined and handsome."

* * *

><p>And so it was that the Gokaigers started their first day at Moroboshi High School.<p>

Captain Marvelous walked through the gates with his shortened blazer undone, defiantly showing off his open-necked red shirt.

Gai eagerly followed, his blazer done up except for a few buttons at the top and the bottom. This, along with the rolled up sleeves, was to add to his air of being 'cool', he'd enthusiastically told them earlier.

Doc was next, awkwardly ambling along in his perfect uniform, complete with black-rimmed glasses.

Next came Ahim, who had taken Luka's hand a while back and was busy dragging and enticing the other girl along. "Come on, Luka, we're nearly there!"

"I didn't realise there was a uniform involved when I signed up," Luka said miserably. She had some time ago taken her blazer off and swung it over her shoulder, despite Gai's protests that a teacher would give her detention if she walked into the school without it on.

Bringing up the rear was Joe. He'd followed Marvelous' example and had not done up his blazer, nor had he worn the school shirt, instead upting for a blue shirt. He was, however, wearing the glasses Gai had bought for him.

"The sooner we discover the lesson for the Megarangers' ultimate power, the sooner we can get out of here," Joe reminded them all.

Luka was barely in the school grounds before a teacher walked towards her, a disapproving look on her face. Luka glared the teacher down, and Gai was stunned when the teacher abruptly turned around, allowing Luka to get away without a detention.

"How did you do that?" Gai asked.

"No one can tell me what to wear," Luka said defiantly.

Ahim wondered off in fascination, keen on studying all the students and the buildings. Doc and Gai headed for the main office to get timetables and maps for the group. Marvelous, Joe and Luka headed for the first bench they could find, Luka lounging on one end, Marvelous leaning back in the middle, and an uncomfortable Joe sitting as close to the end as he could on the left-hand side.

"What do you suppose this ultimate power could possibly have to do with school?" Luka mused, kicking her legs out in a bored fashion.

"I don't know," Marvelous said, watching all the students walking, standing and chatting in the yard. "Best to be alert at all times for anything that looks Super Sentai-y."

"Super Sentai-y?" Luka looked at him quizzically.

"You heard me," Marvelous said, nodding his head once.

"Hey, poindexter," came a mocking voice. Joe, Marvelous and Luka all looked up to see a group of three boys walking past, sneering at Joe. "Nice ponytail."

Joe ignored them, and continued his silent glowering. Marvelous got to his feet, ready to start a fight, before Luka dragged him back down. "Just ignore them," she hissed. "Getting into a fight with a bunch of school kids probably won't help us find the ultimate power."

"Yeah, but it'll make me feeling very happy," Marvelous said, glaring after the three youths.

"Focus," Luka insisted.

Gai and Doc returned then, and handed out the timetables.

"Where's Ahim?" Gai asked, scanning the yard for the former princess.

"Off mixing with the commoners," Luka replied airily, reading over her timetable. "Double maths to start off with? I already hate this whole school idea."

"You should be fine," Marvelous said, frowning at his timetable. "You're forever counting money, so it can't be that hard. I have double literature." Looking up at Gai: "What is literature?"

"Ah, there she is!" Doc pointed in Ahim's direction. "Looks like she's already found some students to give her a tour of the school!"

Everyone turned to see where Ahim was. She was flanked by three boys who were walking along with her, pointing things out.

"Hey," Luka began. "Aren't they those three punks for just a moment ago?"

Joe turned back around and started studying his timetable again. Maths, double science, lunch, P.E and art. Art? Joe would NOT be taking art, he'd have to skip that class. Pull a 'sick one', or whatever it was Gai had told him about.

"I think it's high time we go rescue her," Marvelous said with unnecessary but earnest bravado.

"No! Leave her," Gai insisted. "Making new friends is part of the high school experience! It might help with finding out the lesson behind the Megarangers' ultimate power. In fact, we should all go off and try to make new friends!"

"One person doing it is enough for the whole group," Marvelous replied. "Now Gai, you were saying something yesterday about this thing called a cafeteria?"

"You can only go there at lunch hour," Gai informed him.

Marvelous sank back into the seat. "I hate school already," he informed Joe and Luka.

**That's chapter one, people! If you can be bothered, I'd really appreciate your reviews! What worked, what can be fixed, and do you have any suggestions/requests for this fic?**

**Have a lovely day,**

**Little Goose Girl**


	2. First day

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Sentai or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K

**A/N: **Okay, nothing to do with the story, but … has anyone ever noticed how flippin' awesome Doc's fight scenes are? I mean, really—WHAT WAS WITH THE CUBBY AND TIED UP WEAPONS IN EPISODE 9? He often makes a game out of the fight, I just lovey dovey love it. That's all.

**Dedication: **I'm gonna give a shout out to two awesome readers here, MidnightRosebud and Red Shadow Ranger. Thanks for all your support, comments and favouriting since I began writing again recently. I really appreciate it, and your comments always make me smile, so a super huge thank-you! :-D

**GOKAIGERS GO TO HIGH SCHOOL**

**Chapter 2: First day**

"Hey, four eyes," yet another kid brushed past Joe's seat in the science class, deliberately bumping into him. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. Were high school kids really so petty? What's more, these kids clearly weren't smart. Joe was certain if they saw anything other than the glasses, they'd second guess any decision to bully him. He could take them all down without breaking a sweat, but knew it wouldn't do any good for their current mission.

Once the class started, it wasn't actually so bad—other than the fact Joe hated science. The students all stayed in their seats, there was no talking. Joe had to admit, though, he _did_ feel a little self-conscious about his choice of pencil, if 'choice' you could call it. Doc, Ahim and Gai had gone shopping for school supplies for the whole team, and apparently had left the decision for pencils up to Ahim. And Ahim, being Ahim, had been absolutely delighted with the pink, felt-covered pencils with the duck patterns. None of the others had been all that impressed. Joe had contemplated going out and buying his own greyleads, but, remembering how enthusiastic Ahim had been when handing him the pencils, had stuck with them in the end.

Now, looking around the classroom, he saw everyone else had plain, sensible greyleads. He felt his cheeks warm up—like he didn't already stand out enough as it was.

The bell sounded to end the lesson, and Joe gathered up his books. In the process, he knocked one of the accursed pencils to the floor. He was just about to pick it up, but was beaten to the punch by a boy sitting behind him. Joe recognised the boy as one of the three who had spoken to him that morning.

"Here, Miss, you dropped your pencil," the boy said. Seeing Joe's face, he feigned shock. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were a girl."

Joe simply glared at him and turned around abruptly. Screw the pencil, he didn't need it that badly.

In fact, this whole school thing was beyond a joke. He hadn't wanted to come in the first place, and he'd had nothing but trouble since he got there that morning. He went to the temporary locker he'd been assigned, keen on clearing it out, when he saw Luka and Ahim just five metres away.

Luka was also clearly not happy with how school was going, either.

"Luka, you really must persevere," Ahim was saying, trying to encourage the yellow ranger. "It is not so bad as it might seem now, you just need to adjust."

"I don't want to adjust!" Luka whined. "It's so boring! The Earth movies made school look really fun, but it's just sitting still, listening and learning boring stuff. I don't want to do it anymore!"

"Luka's right," Joe said, approaching them. "School is not a good place to be for us. We don't fit in here."

"What do you mean, Mr Joe?" Ahim asked, concerned. "I have found everyone to be so kind and welcoming. I really quite like this school experience."

"How come none of our classes are together?" Doc whined, joining the group. It was lunch hour, so they started making their way to the cafeteria.

"I think I have science with you this afternoon, Doc," Luka said, blazer still swung over her shoulder.

"Ah, that's right! At last, someone I know. The kids here are just horrible, they've been giving me a hard time all morning."

Joe could sympathise completely, but chose not to say anything. He was not a complainer.

"Which kids?" Luka demanded, scanning the filled hallways with narrowed eyes. "You tell me which ones have been getting stuck into you, and I'll soon straighten them out."

"There's no point, Luka," Doc sighed. "We'll hopefully be gone soon, anyway. Does anyone have any idea what the lesson is yet?"

"Not a clue," Gai said cheerfully as he joined them.

"You're awfully happily," Luka noted. "Are you cool this time around?"

"Wee-eelll," Gai dragged the word out, a broad smile on his face. "No, not yet. But I will be. I can sense it," he said as he gestured dramatically.

As they neared the cafeteria, they saw Marvelous was already at a table, eating.

"Thanks for waiting, Marvelous," Doc said.

"Lunch started ten minutes ago. I haven't eaten since breakfast. _You_ should have been here sooner."

The rest gathered trays and got their food, but when they got back to the table and took their seats, Ahim remained standing.

"If you'll please excuse me," she said, smiling around at them all apologetically. "I have promised some of my new friends that I would eat lunch with them today. I will see you all after school has concluded, if that is alright?"

"Go, go," Marvelous said in a bored voice, waving her away.

"At this rate, we'll never see Ahim again," Luka said as she stabbed at the vegetables on her plate. "I hate broccoli. I don't see why she likes these students so much. Most of the kids in my classes have been horrible brats. And those that aren't are too involved in studying to be any fun."

"Do any of you have classes with Ahim?" Doc asked.

"I have literature with her this afternoon," Gai said.

"You have P.E. next, don't you Joe?" Marvelous turned to his first mate to ask.

"Yeah."

"Good. Same. What after that?"

"Art."

"So I take it you'll be skipping."

Joe was about to answer in the affirmative when Gai interjected: "I think Ahim has art in the last period."

"Ah, so no, then," Marvelous smiled conspiratorially at Joe, who quickly looked around at the others' faces. Thankfully, none of them had heard Marvelous. They were all too busy arguing about the quality of the food.

"I have no idea what you're on about," Joe said nonchalantly.

Luka had finished eating all she could manage, and was busy twirling her food around. "Doc," she began. "You'd better make an extra nice dinner tonight to make up for this rubbish we've had to eat today."

"I thought it was alright," Marvelous said, content now that his belly was full.

"That's because you inhaled it so quickly you didn't get a chance to taste it," Luka said wryly.

"That is true," Marvelous nodded slowly.

"Ah, Ahim is really embracing the whole schooling experience!" Gai said with shining eyes. "Look! See how popular she already is? Maybe if I stuck by her some more, I'd be popular too!"

The group looked over at Ahim, whose group of admirers had swelled from three to about fifteen boys since the day began. Marvelous and Joe looked at the boys with a mixture of disgust and contempt.

Luka turned back to her tray, playing with her vegetables once more. "You know, I'd be surrounded by boys too if you all didn't keep hanging around and cramping my style," she said sulkily.

"I know," Marvelous replied airily. "That is exactly why I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Eh?" Luka questioned, annoyed.

"We don't need any more distractions. Isn't that right, Joe?"

"Hmm?" Joe was still glaring at the boys hanging around Ahim, and hadn't heard a single word the others had said.

Lunch ended eventually, and honestly, even though Joe looked as though he was absorbed in the group's conversation, he couldn't remember a word anyone had said. He'd been watching Ahim and her admirers out of the corner of his eye, doing such a thorough job of secretly monitoring them that he had no attention left for anything else.

Joe and Marvelous had P.E. next, and while Marvelous unveiled a talent for basketball on the courts, Joe sat in the bleachers, stoically refusing to play each time the teacher called him down. It wasn't going to win him any friends with the boys in his class, but Joe didn't care. He'd never played basketball before, and had no interest in it.

When class finished, Joe had the advantage over the others of not needing to change out of gym gear, and headed straight for the room Gai had told him literature was held in. He met Ahim just as she was leaving the classroom, and took her books from her hands.

"Thank-you, Mr Joe," she said, smiling up at him. "But really, I can carry them myself."

"I don't mind," Joe said. They walked in silence for a bit, before Joe said. "I really don't think you should be calling me 'Mr Joe' here. Just call me 'Joe'. The students will think it's strange."

"But it's manners," Ahim protested. "And it shows my respect for you."

"Ahim," Joe began, but Ahim interrupted.

"Besides, what does it matter what they think? We'll be gone from here in a couple of days, and we will likely never see any of them again."

Joe, pleased with her answer, found himself smiling all the way to art. A lot of the boys looked up hopefully as Ahim entered the classroom, but were disappointed when the former princess happily took a seat next to Joe. This confused the other boys, but they brushed it off. Joe knew it was petty, but couldn't help but feel a little triumphant at their expense.

At the end of the day, the group met up again by Marvelous' locker.

"Who knew there'd be so much homework given in only one day?" Doc said miserably. "It'll be a simple dinner tonight, I just don't have the time."

"Luka won't be happy," Marvelous pointed out unnecessarily. "Speaking of Luka, has anyone seen her?"

"No," they all answered, scanning the halls. Where had she gotten to?

Concluding she must have already left, they all headed towards the front gate. There, they found her at last. She didn't quite have Ahim's throng of admirers, but there were a few boys hanging around her like adoring puppies. One in particular seemed to be hanging on every word Luka said. Marvelous frowned at them.

"I leave her alone for _one second_," he sighed in frustration. He marched right up to Luka's side and slid his arm through her elbow. "Come," was all he said before leading her away.

"Marvelous!" Luka chided him. "He was going to give me his phone number!"

"You are going to date an Earth boy? Really? A boy who is still in school?"

"He was going to take me out for dinner at a _nice_ restaurant!" Luka said forlornly. "And he comes from a very rich family—just imagine the jewellery he could buy me!"

"If you want to go to a nice restaurant so badly, I could always take you," Marvelous said, annoyed. "And I can buy you jewellery."

"It's not the same," Luka sulked. "I was trying to get this stuff for free. You'd be taking money from the ship's shared funds. It'd be like I was buying myself dinner and jewellery."

Marvelous tried not to, but he couldn't help his lip quirking up in a smile.

When they rejoined the others, Doc asked, "So has anyone figured out what the lesson might be about yet?"

They all answered in the negative. Marvelous looked around at the group. "We will come up with a new strategy tonight," he said. "But for now, back to the galleon! Food! Sleep!"

**Endo of chaptero two-o. Poor Joe, I dunno how the big scary guy ended up being the easy target for bullies, it just happened! Apparently I like torturing the poor bloke, like he hasn't already had enough of that with Sid/Barizorg and everything!**

**As always, please review on your way out, I love to hear from my readers!**

**Keep on smiling,**

**Little Goose Girl**


	3. Spies and Detentions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Sentai or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+ for the use of one mild swear word and teensy bit of violence.

**A/N: **Once again, thanks to all the lovely people who persist with my story and give me feedback—you're all absolute stars! :-D Slight delay in getting this chapter up—I was trying to do one a day. Will now possibly NOT finish before Sunday, but we'll see how we go.

**GOKAIGERS GO TO HIGH SCHOOL**

**Chapter 3: Spies and Detentions**

"Spy on the high school kids, really?" Marvelous asked, clearly not as enthusiastic about all this planning as Gai and Doc were.

"Exactly! No offence, but you all stood out really badly yesterday," Gai pointed out. "So today, _observe_. Pick a high school kid, and follow them around all day, see how they act, learn to be like one of them. But do it subtly." The last part was directed at Doc with a stern stare.

"But you won't be joining in the spying?" Marvelous asked Gai.

"No, I've already been to high school, I know how it works. Pick one of the Earth kids and follow them around for a day so you can see what a normal high school experience is like."

"Good," Marvelous said, getting to his feet. "Excellent idea. I approve. Gai."

"Yes?"

"I pick you."

"You pick me? For what?" Gai asked, confused.

"To follow and spy on."

"_What?_" Gai asked incredulously. "But Marvelous, that wasn't what I meant when I said—"

"You are from Earth, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"And you were just saying yourself how you already know how high school works."

"Yes, but—"

"Who else heard him say that he already knows how high school works?" Marvelous addressed the rest of the crew. They all raised their hands.

"Then, I pick you."

"But Marvelous!"

"Captains orders. Now are we going to school or what?"

With that, the Gokaigers embarked on their journey to school. Marvelous made Gai walk in front of him, stating a need to observe him "being a school kid walking to school" as the reason. Ahim walked along quite happily, chatting to a less-than-enthusiastic Luka about what she expected from her subjects that day. An unwilling Doc and Joe brought up the rear. If yesterday was anything to go by, Joe was not sure he could last much longer in school. Doc, on the other hand, was fretting about his homework.

"Marvelous," he called out to his Captain, who briefly raised his hand to show he was listening. "Did you find the trigonometry homework difficult last night?"

"What trigonometry homework?"

"The homework set by sensei that we have to hand in today."

"Didn't do it," Marvelous said simply.

"But Marvelous! Sensei said anyone who didn't hand it in could expect a detention."

"I'd like to see him try to give me a detention," Marvelous muttered under his breath, unperturbed by the idea of a possible detention.

"The homework was so difficult," Luka complained. "It made my head hurt."

"I thought it was fascinating," Ahim said enthusiastically. "Especially the history homework. Earth truly is a fascinating planet. How did you find it, Joe?"

Joe just grunted in response. He had originally had no intention of doing any homework, but was so strongly against the idea of drawing any more attention to himself in class that he forced his way through it, though he knew it was poorly done.

When at school, the Gokaigers split up to find students to observe. Marvelous, as he had planned, followed Gai. Luka saw an athletic-looking girl who, like Luka, refused to wear the blazer. She was just about to approach the girl when a hand on her shoulder arrested her.

"Hey, you," a sour voice said from behind her. Luka whirled around, and saw a large female teacher standing behind her, a heavy frown on her face. "Where's your blazer?"

"Over my shoulder," Luka said innocently. "You can see that, or do you need glasses?"

"Detention," was the sensei's only reply.

"Detention?" Luka echoed, shocked.

"Detention," the lady nodded in the affirmative. "For incorrect uniform presentation and cheek." The lady scribbled on a sheet and handed it to Luka. "Today, 3.30pm in the study hall. Be there."

Luka scowled, but folded the slip away and shoved it in her bag. She'd lost sight of the girl she'd chosen, and now had to start looking for her all over again. The thought that she could simply follow someone else didn't seem to occur to Luka.

Doc was following a boy who was similarly attired in impeccable uniform and also wore glasses, although they were not as bold as Doc's. Ahim saw a pretty girl sitting under a cherry tree, admiring the blossoms, and decided to shadow her.

Joe had struggled to find someone to follow. His initial thought had been to follow one of the bullies from yesterday, to try to get inside their heads and see why they were acting so horribly, but he reconsidered when he weighed up the likelihood he'd end up punching someone in the face, deciding it wasn't worth it. Instead, he trailed a boy who was dressed nicely enough, looked neat and happy, and smiled or chatted with everyone who passed. Surely Joe could handle him for a day.

The morning went off mostly without a hitch for everyone except Captain Marvelous, who soon learned teachers were serious when they threatened detention for not completing homework. The same teacher who had inspired so much fear in Doc handed Marvelous a detention first thing in maths class.

When Marvelous showed it to Gai at lunch, the latter looked enviously at Marvelous. "All the cool kids get detention," Gai said wistfully. "You'll be with the in-crowd before I am!"

"Not a problem," Marvelous smiled kindly at him, before pushing him into a teacher, knocking her straight to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" Gai apologised profusely. Unfortunately for him, it was the same stern teacher who had given Luka a detention for not wearing her blazer that morning.

"Detention," she said, picking herself up and dusting her skirt off.

"But, but—!" Gai stuttered, but she had already written the slip, shoved it into his hand, and stalked off. "Marvelous," Gai whined.

"Excellent," Marvelous smiled. "Now I can observe my Earth human in the detention setting."

Luka and Joe smiled surreptitiously, while Doc and Ahim offered the clearly upset Gai sympathetic looks.

"But I've never had a detention," Gai whispered, horrified. "My perfect record is ruined."

"Maybe that's why you were never cool," Luka said too innocently.

"Your school record is already perfect and complete, Gai," Ahim kindly reminded him. "Just as Mr Kenta said. None of what happens here now will affect that."

At that moment, Ahim's student got up and left her lunch table. Ahim politely excused herself and went off to follow the girl.

"How is everyone finding the shadow assignment?" Gai asked in a whisper.

"Very illuminating," Marvelous smirked. Gai scowled.

"Not too bad," Luka said off-handedly. "As it turned out, mine and Doc's students are project partners, so we get to hang out a fair bit, which is pretty good."

"Yeah? How good?" Marvelous challenged, leaning forwards as he spoke to Luka.

"There goes my student," Joe said, getting to his feet. He stalked off without another word, keeping his student in sight while maintaining a healthy distance. He followed the boy through the halls and out into the yard. There, he saw the boy look around nervously. What was this, then? Joe wondered.

Suddenly, the boy ducked under a tree and disappeared into the garden. Joe followed, staying hidden behind the box hedges. Interesting, Joe thought, watching a smile come over the boy's face as he saw someone sitting on a bench in the garden. He is meeting a girl here.

The girl looked up and smiled at the boy, adoration plain to see on both their faces. Joe was staring at them so intently that he failed to see the obstacle in his path until he bumped into it, knocking it to the ground.

"Joe-san!" a voice hissed. Joe looked down wildly and saw Ahim sprawled on the ground. He quickly helped her to her feet, but stood by awkwardly as she brushed her clothes of any dirt.

"Are you okay?" he whispered earnestly.

She smiled up at him. "I am fine," she whispered back. "What are you doing here?"

"Following my student," he gestured to where the boy was standing some distance away, talking animatedly with the girl.

"Likewise," Ahim smiled at him. "It seems our students are sweethearts."

Joe looked back at the pair and felt his face growing hot. By now, they were holding hands. He felt uncomfortable about this invasion of their privacy. He folded his arms to hide his discomfort as Ahim clasped her hands together in delight.

"Ah, is not young love such a sweet thing?" Ahim said, starry-eyed. Joe gave a non-committal grunt. He was feeling less and less happy by the second, and desperately wanted to leave the two students alone. Thankfully, they walked off themselves, holding hands.

He turned to Ahim to ask if she thought they should leave the students alone for the rest of lunch, but when he saw her face, he stopped. There was a certain sadness about her eyes that caused his heart to constrict. Her trademark gentle smile was still in place, but looked shaky.

"Ahim, are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"Yes, I am fine," she smiled unconvincingly at him. "But I must admit, I am more than a bit envious of that girl. So young, younger than me, yet she is able to be with her sweetheart."

Joe thought about what she said, and instantly felt his heart and stomach drop to somewhere near his ankles. "Ahim," he began uncertainly. "Did you ever have a ... a sweetheart ... back on Famille?"

"Yes," her smile increased ever so slightly at the memory. "I suppose you could say I did."

"You must miss him," Joe said miserably.

"I do. I miss all of them. Everybody who I've been separated from."

"Come," Joe said, turning around and heading back towards the cafeteria. "Let's meet up with the others again."

* * *

><p>When lunch was over, Joe headed over with Ahim to their lockers. They had double art that afternoon. Ahim was worried about Joe. After they had met up with the others, he had not said a word to anyone all throughout lunchtime. And now as he walked with her towards their lockers, he was silent still.<p>

"Joe-san," Ahim ventured, trying to look him in the eye. He stubbornly averted his gaze. "Is something the matter?"

Joe simply shook his head.

"But you have been so quiet. Surely something must be upsetting you. Please, tell me," Ahim begged, distressed. "Are we not friends? Do not friends help each other out?"

"Friends?" a voice sneered from behind them. Ahim and Joe whirled around to see Rei, one of the boys who had made a game of teasing Joe, standing behind them. He had been the ring leader all along, and though Joe couldn't stand him, he didn't care enough about him to be bothered by his words. "Why would anyone want to be friends with the four-eyed boy-girl there?" he mocked.

Joe ignored him, turning back to his locker. Ahim, on the other hand, was highly offended.

"Why would you say such a thing?" she demanded.

"Ahim, leave it," Joe said, speaking for the first time in nearly an hour.

"I will not, Joe-san! That boy is rude and unpleasant, and in general, nasty," Ahim seethed, as only Ahim knows how, while maintaining a composed demeanour. "Rei, apologise to Joe-san this instant."

"Why?" Rei smirked. "What I said was true."

"You know that is simply not the case," Ahim replied. "It is not good manners or good breeding. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"You really are a prim little bitch, aren't you?" he smirked, mocking Ahim now.

Okay. That was it. That was all the invitation he needed.

Joe whirled around and punched Rei as hard as he could in the face. The boy shouted, clutching at his now broken nose as blood streamed out.

"Joe-san!" Ahim admonished him, shocked.

A teacher came forward to see what all the commotion was, for by now a sizeable group had formed around the pair. He had arrived just in time to stop things from escalating into an all-out fight—which Joe was confident he could have won with one hand tied behind his back—between Joe and Rei's friends.

"Stop, stop!" the teacher shouted. "What is the meaning of this? Why is that boy bleeding?"

Rei pointed at Joe pathetically, trying to play the sympathy card. Though Yamada Sensei secretly thought it was time someone gave Rei a what-for, he knew school rules needed to be upheld.

"Is this true?" he addressed Joe. Joe simply nodded, still giving Rei a death-glare. "Then I'm sorry young man, but I must give you a detention," Yamada Sensei said, handing Joe a detention slip. "You will be staying back after school today, and every day for the rest of the week."

With that, the teacher ordered all the students to get to class, and led Rei to the first aid room.

"Joe-san," Ahim sighed in dismay. She gathered up her books and headed off to art class.

Joe returned to his locker, gathering his things.

"It was worth it," he said aloud to himself, slamming his locker shut.

**There we go, folks! Sorry about the delay. And sorry about the swearing—I usually try to avoid swearing in writing myself, but they do it in the show, and the scene kinda called for it.**

**Anyways, you know the drill! Please review/suggest/criticise/comment if you have the time! I love to hear from you :-D**

**Little Goose Girl.**


	4. Understandings and Confusions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Sentai or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **So, as you are all well aware, I missed my own self-assigned deadline. Now that I have seen what the REAL episode was like (and loved it!) I feel a certain lack of enthusiasm to keep this going. But still, I will persist! This will probably be the second last chapter, then it shall be done. About time I committed to a story long enough to finish it (those who have been following my story 'Secrets' in Power Rangers will know what I mean—been a while since I updated that!). So read on, enjoy (hopefully) and thank-you all for your kind reviews, alerts, favourites and so on :-)

**A/N2:** So, this one is set in detention. Not a lot really happens in detention, so this one is a bit dialogue-heavy. And, it's a bit obtuse, I apologise. I just need to start tying up as many loose ends as I can, as quickly as I can. I dropped too many hints in previous chapters that I had no intention of mentioning again, only they were picked up on in reviews and PMs, so now I feel obliged to make something of them :p My bad.

**GOKAIGERS GO TO HIGH SCHOOL**

**Chapter 4: Understandings and Confusion**

Joe honestly did not regret punching Rei in the face. The kid was a brat, and thoroughly deserved it. The reaction of the kids in his art class only affirmed this belief.

"Thank-you," one shy girl had said, blushing, as she passed him to get to her desk.

A tall, sturdy boy walked up to him and clapped him on the shoulder. "He's been asking for a broken nose for years now, about time someone stood up to him."

A few more students had made remarks along the same line. Some threw grateful smiles his way, others kind looks; some more showed sympathy for the kid who had been bullied and stood up for himself.

As much as this backed Joe's actions up, he still did not care much for what the other students thought. There had been a definite downside to the whole incident, and that was Ahim's continuing looks of disappointment. She barely spoke to him all through art class, and at the end of the lesson, Joe finally decided he could take it no more.

"What's the matter?" he asked, self-consciously.

"Was it really necessary to hit Rei like that, Joe-san?" Ahim asked, meeting his eyes for the first time in two hours.

"Yes."

"I know he was horrible," Ahim said. "I was frustrated with him myself. I said more than I should have, perhaps, but I would never resort to hitting him. Joe-san, you are so much stronger than he is. That was truly unfair."

"Unfair?" Joe asked in shock. He knew what she meant, but how could she expect him to act otherwise?

"To exert your power over someone weaker than you."

"Ahim," Joe said, resisting the temptation to grab her shoulders to make her see his earnestness. "I did not mind it when he was saying rubbish about me, but he took it too far when he turned on you."

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself," Ahim said firmly, picking up the last of her supplies and heading out of the classroom. Joe just sighed in frustration, roughly gathering up his belongings.

* * *

><p>"Gang's all here," Marvelous said cheerfully as Joe joined him, Luka and Gai in study hall for detention. Luka and Marvelous had turned their chairs to face each other and were playing a card game. Gai was sitting upright at the edge of his seat, hands folded neatly on the table. Joe looked at him, quirking up an eyebrow.<p>

"He's been like that since he got here," Luka said, following Joe's gaze. "I win again, Marvelous. Gai is not embracing this aspect of schooling life as well as Marvelous and I are."

Marvelous was furiously shuffling the deck again, watching Luka like a hawk the whole time to ensure she did not try any tricks. "Remember that time you held back while playing cards? Why not give that another go?"

"It wouldn't make a difference," Luka said airily. "You still lost every hand then. Even Doc and Ahim beat you."

Marvelous muttered something unintelligible and dealt the cards out.

"Are you joining us, Joe?" Luka asked as he sat in the desk behind Marvelous.

"No."

"Okay," Luka sighed. "I was just hoping for a bit of a challenge."

"Challenge! Hah!" Marvelous crowed triumphantly. "Four of a kind!"

"Straight flush," Luka said lazily, winking at Gai, who was not looking at any of them, but was staring at the board at the front of the classroom. "I think you broke him," Luka said, turning to Marvelous.

"Best five out of nine," Marvelous said.

"I think not," Luka turned away, clearly done with cards. "You're yet to beat me. I'm not waiting around for you to win five hands in a row."

"Settle down, settle down," a sensei said half-heartedly as he walked into the room, setting himself up at the front desk. "I don't care what you're in here for. Write an apology, hand it in to the teacher who gave you a detention tomorrow. You're here for an hour. Begin."

The sensei then produced a stack of papers and began to grade them. Luka glanced at Gai, who was already furiously scribbling away on a sheet of loose leaf. Marvelous had produced a couple of dice and was trying to catch her attention. She turned around and saw Joe gazing out the window, clearly deep in thought.

"Roll 'em high," Marvelous smiled at her. "Highest total wins." Luka raised her eyebrows quickly, and nodded. Around the classroom, the other students were similarly bludging. Clearly, they did not take this detention too seriously either.

Marvelous despaired when he rolled a set of ones. Luka, of course, had to roll a five and a six. "Show off," he muttered, gathering the dice up again. After a few minutes of this silent dice war, Marvelous ventured to ask: "So were you really considering going out with that kid yesterday?"

"Akio? Mhmm," Luka muttered, reaching for the cards again. This dice game was getting old.

"Why? You've never shown a great deal of interest in the boys from Earth before."

"He was kinda cute," Luka admitted. "Plus, with the Zangyack empire all in a mess because of Warz Gil, nothing has been happening around here lately. I thought it might be fun."

"Nothing has been happening? What about our search for the greatest treasure?"

"Yes, but we're already doing that. There's not much else we could do at the moment. I was speaking to Akio today, and I found out where his family's fortune comes from."

"Oh?" Marvelous inquired, trying to sound disinterested.

"Jewels," Luka said with shining eyes. "His father owns a diamond mine, can you believe it?"

"Ah," was Marvelous' disappointed response. "He sounds perfect for you, then."

"Yes, I suppose so," Luka seemed a bit put out.

"But…" Marvelous prompted, shuffling to the edge of his seat.

"Did you guys know Ahim had a sweetheart on Famille?" Joe interrupted them, clearly oblivious to the conversation they'd been having.

Marvelous let out a frustrated sigh. "No," he said, and despite himself, he could not help but feel a little intrigued.

"Really? Ahim had a sweetheart?" Luka gazed off into the distance, lost in her own little world. "I bet he was handsome. He was probably a prince. He would have been very rich, too."

Joe made a gruff noise, and turned to look out the window again.

"I wonder if he was kind," Luka continued. "He must have been, if he had earned Ahim's affection. How did you hear about this, Joe?"

"Ahim told me," he said simply. He wished he hadn't mentioned it to the others. As Luka continued her conjectures, he felt his stomach dropping further and further. It was not impossible to believe that Ahim had a sweetheart on her former home planet. In fact, it was entirely likely. But she had never mentioned it before. Joe had long been denying his feelings for the surprisingly strong former princess, believing he was not fit to be considered a possible match for her. To have it confirmed now, though, did not hurt any less because of his self-denial.

* * *

><p>The Gokai Galleon was very quiet with only Doc, Ahim and Navi aboard. The mechanical bird was grateful for their company, though she missed Captain Marvelous, as much as he frustrated her. The sooner the schooling exercise was concluded, the better.<p>

Doc and Ahim were preparing dinner for when the others returned, and though they could usually do this in companionable silence, Doc noticed that something was different tonight. Ahim was distracted, and her movements were a little rougher than usual.

"Ahim," Doc ventured, ducking his head to try to catch her gaze. "What is the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Ahim gave him an unconvincing smile, turning back to the carrots she was dicing for the soup. Doc did not believe her, that was clear enough from his expression, so she continued on to say: "Joe-san broke a student's nose today."

"So I heard," Doc smiled. "I am ashamed to say a small part of me is glad he did. Rei was the one who was giving me such a hard time, too. Though I am surprised he was able to break through Joe's self-assurance and control enough to hurt him. He must have said something terrible for Joe to lash out like that."

"It was not anything in particular he said to Joe-san," Ahim said, recalling the incident.

"Oh?"

"Well, he said many means things to Joe-san, but Joe-san just ignored him. But I guess it must have all been building up, and eventually he tipped over the edge. Rei called me—well, I will not repeat it. But he called me an unpleasant name, and that was when Joe-san snapped."

"Ah," Doc said, smiling in understanding. "That makes sense, then."

"It does?" Ahim asked, frowning. "Then can you kindly explain it to me?"

"You honestly don't know?" Doc couldn't help but chuckle a little. Poor Ahim. _Poor Joe!_

"Know what?"

"Joe is very protective," Doc answered, trying to play it safe. It was not his secret to tell. As far as Joe was concerned, Doc didn't even know. Nobody knew. Yet Doc was willing to bet that everyone on the ship knew except Ahim, who was sometimes too naïve for her own good.

"Yes, I know this," Ahim sighed. "He watches out for us all."

"You, especially," Doc couldn't help but add. Immediately regretting it, should he have given too much away, he continued on to say: "He knows you are strong, Ahim, but I think he despairs that you are too trusting."

"I do not need him to look out for me," Ahim retorted, cutting the carrots with an all new vigour.

"I know," Doc smiled kindly. "But I think he likes to look out for you. It is his way of showing aff— friendship."

"Indeed," Ahim nodded slowly. She was finished with the carrots, but Doc noticed she was a lot more gentle now as she cut up the celery. "Perhaps I was too harsh on him. Indeed, I regret that I was so cold just now. I shall apologise to him tonight."

Doc merely smiled, and continued with preparing the meat.

**There we go, shorter than average chapter, kinda useless, but it's done. I figure it's better to get the story finished, even if I'm not exactly happy with it, than to just leave it hanging half-done.**

**Next chapter will be the last, and hopefully some stuff will actually **_**happen**_** in it :p**

**Have a great day/night and keep on smiling**

**Little Goose Girl**


	5. Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Sentai or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **FINAL CHAPTER! Thanks to all you gorgeous, gorgeous lovely people who have been following this story through, especially those who have reviewed—it's been a great pleasure hearing from you all. I hope you're not too disappointed with this last chapter (I have this _thing_ against nice, neat, believable, well-structured, complete conclusions—you'll see what I mean :-p), and continue to read my other works. Coming up next: **FAN REQUEST:** A Joe/Ahim/Marv story? You betcha :-D

**A/N2:** Sorry for the overt OOC-ness of this chapter, it was kinda necessary to get the characters to the point I needed them. It's more shippy than you'll ever see in the show, so I had to take the characters out of their comfort zones a bit (a lot). Apologies in advance!

**A/N3:** Okay, now that I feel more comfortable with you all, time for a bit of an embarrassing admission: I have something of a crush on Basco :-$ After I was completely repulsed by him and his appearance for his first episode or two, I found myself swooning when he smiled in episode 39. I mean, really, how cool is his voice and intonation? And despite how effeminate his looks are, he's oddly incredibly hot in his own way. Anyone else agree? Okay, rambling over. On with the story, Little Goose!

**A/N4 (new record):** This was published as something of a rough draft, I will most likely redo the Joe/Ahim part when I figure out how to fix it :-/ Feedback/suggestions appreciated :-s

**GOKAIGERS GO TO HIGH SCHOOL**

**Chapter 5: Revelations**

When the detention Gokaigers returned home that night, it was to a full spread on the Galleon's table. It cheered Marvelous up just the littlest bit, but it was clear to Ahim and Doc that their fellow crew members were miserable. Except Luka, who walked in with a bright smile on her face and traipsed over to the table, happy at having beaten Marvelous at every hand of cards.

"Ah, Doc," she said, smiling at her plate. "I see you listened to me last night and lifted your game. This looks and smells fantastic."

When everyone sat down and began to eat, Doc was unnerved by how quiet they were all being. He exchanged looks with Ahim before venturing to ask, "Was detention really that awful?"

"Nope," Marvelous and Luka said simultaneously.

"Yes," Gai answered miserably.

"Gai, don't lie," Luka smirked at him. "You looked like you were thoroughly enjoying writing your letter, you completed it with such vigour."

Gai just sulked, and Marvelous felt a reluctant smile spread over his face. "I am sorry I got you a detention, Gai," Marvelous said, earning him a strange look from Luka. "On the plus side, I got to observe the best at work. I couldn't have asked for a better example of how detention _should_ be done."

"_Should_be done?" Ahim asked, confused. "What do you mean, Marvelous-san?"

"Never mind," Marvelous smirked again.

Joe continued his stoic silence all throughout dinner, to the point that it was even beginning to get on Marvelous' nerves. When the meal was over, Joe disappeared. Marvelous made to follow him, but was beaten to the punch by Ahim.

"Something seems to be bothering Joe-san," she said with concern. "I think I will go and speak to him."

For once receiving no objection, Ahim went off in search of the first mate.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Marvelous asked Luka, raising an eyebrow.

"Who knows?" Luka breathed, staring after the retreating former princess.

Ahim first searched the private cabins, then wandered through the kitchen and halls. Seeing no sign of Joe, she headed up the staircase leading to the crows' nest. As she neared the top of the stairs, she saw a figure standing there, leaning against the railing, hair blowing back in the wind.

"Joe-san," Ahim breathed. As she finished the climb, she took in his sight completely. He made no movement to indicate he had seen her, but Ahim knew he knew she was there. She saw his profile and was once again struck by his beauty and strength. That proud tilt of his head, the hawk-like nose, beautiful eyes, and the pouting mouth that she knew could spread into one of the most lovely, kind smiles she had seen in all her years.

"What's the matter?" Joe eventually asked, uncomfortable with Ahim standing there staring at him.

"I should be asking you that," Ahim ventured, clasping her hands over her stomach and ducking her head in her typical pose.

"Nothing is the matter," Joe said gruffly, still staring out at the night sky. There were many clouds around, but he could still find a few patches of sky free from cloud, where the night stars shone brightly through.

"You've barely spoken to anyone today, Joe-san," Ahim pointed out, moving to lean against the rail beside him. "Indeed, that is the first I've heard you speak since you returned to the ship. Was it something to do with Rei?"

"No, nothing to do with Rei," Joe said truthfully. Nothing Rei had said had hurt him. Angered him, maybe, but not hurt. Ahim, on the other hand, had inadvertently reminded Joe of one of the many reasons his new dream would never be realised, hurting him deeply. He was not sure when this new dream had taken over, occupying so many of his thoughts, but now that it was there, and he realised it, it was hard to ignore.

Joe had spent too many nights going to sleep with the unhappy thought that princess and ex-soldier simply did not go together in a relationship. Especially not an ex-soldier of the very army who had destroyed Ahim's home planet, killing everyone she loved. Besides that, who was Joe's family? Who even remembered them, except Joe himself? Ahim, on the other hand, was the last generation of a noble royal line. Even though as Gokaigers they were equal aboard the Gokai Galleon—perhaps, as first mate, Joe was even her superior—he could not help but feel too much difference lay in their pasts, in their roles and types, for there to be any hope of him and Ahim one day being together.

Feeling hopeless and desperate, he found the courage to venture to say, "Tell me something, Ahim. You mentioned earlier today that you had a sweetheart on Famille."

Ahim looked at him, waiting for him to go on, but Joe found he could not. Ahim smiled gently as her eyes gained a faraway look. "A sweetheart _of sorts_," Ahim muttered fondly. Joe looked at her sharply. What did she mean?

"His name was Hale," Ahim continued, speaking gently. "He was the son of one of my father's most trusted servants." Joe frowned. Servant? "He was not a _real_ sweetheart, but he was my dearest friend." Ahim blushed, clearly embarrassed about what she was about to admit. "You see, as a young girl, I was a bit of a romantic. Back before the Zangyack empire invaded, that is. I used to listen to the folk tales and histories where the princess would find a handsome prince, who would be so gallant and chivalrous, always rescuing her from some evil or danger. I wanted so desperately to have my own love story play out like that. Unfortunately, they were old tales. Men like that didn't exist on my planet anymore."

Joe was confused with where she was going, but did not interrupt.

"When I reached a marriageable age, the suitors began to appear. None of these princes were like the princes of the past. They were charming enough, and many of them were handsome, but none of them was strong, or brave. None were chivalrous. I was so disappointed. Hale, who had been a good friend of mine since I was a child, took pity on me. While I continued to be courted by disappointing princes, Hale also courted me, in a way. With no intent other than to help my dreams come true, and no thoughts of marriage. It was our secret.

"It was not the same as true love, but he treated me like the princesses I'd read about. He was chivalrous, to an extent. And he was always there to protect me. He was my dearest friend. Does that make any sense? It sounds so silly now that I'm saying it out loud. You're the first person I've ever told this."

Joe simply nodded, a little bewildered, trying to sort out his thoughts. He knew that this information did not change the situation at all, but he could not help but feel a little hopeful once again.

He turned to Ahim and offered her his warmest smile. "I can see how you would miss such a friend as that," he said. He swallowed and looked away, before asking, "But you have never loved, then?"

Ahim smiled at him, an uncanny knowing look on her face. Joe had never seen that look on Ahim before, and instantly felt exposed. He could hardly explain it, and did not know how he felt about it.

"I never loved on Famille," she said slowly, deliberately. "But I have loved. I do love." She turned to face him fully. He turned likewise. She met his eyes determinedly, trying to find something there. How she could find his feelings when all he knew was confusion, and perhaps disappointment made a brief appearance, he knew not.

"I think you do love, too, if I am not mistaken."

She said it with such assurance, such bravery, the Joe was left breathless. She knew how he felt, and—she returned it? Was that what she was trying to say? Before he had any opportunity to clarify anything, she had turned around abruptly and was heading back down the stairs.

"We should return to the others," she said, and it was like the sweet, naïve, unassuming Ahim was back. Joe hardly knew what to make of the whole situation, but was stunned when she turned and said to him, "Are you coming, Joe-kun?"

* * *

><p>After much coaxing and effort on Doc's part, Gai was finally out of his shell-shocked, humiliated state and back to normal. As he looked around the main cabin that Saturday afternoon, he wondered how long he had been out of it, and how much he had missed. Surely this must be an alternate reality? Surely he was dreaming?<p>

Doc was the same as ever, and there was little change about Ahim, except perhaps a bit of extra spring in her step, or more colour in her cheeks as she smiled constantly throughout the day. It was the other three, the true pirates, who cause Gai the most concern.

Marvelous was actually being nice—exceedingly nice—to Luka. Poor Luka, who usually would have suspected something was up and given Marvelous a well-deserved elbow to the stomach, looked confused and off-put. She could not figure out what his angle was, and confusedly thanked him when he pulled her chair out for her at one point, and held the door open for her at another.

Joe—quiet, stoic, impassive Joe—was going about his usual business, but randomly smiling or blushing, and kept throwing covert glances in Ahim's direction. Gai exchanged a look with Navi, who simply shook her head, raising her wings in a shrug. She was as baffled as he was.

"Only cook dinner for four tonight, Doc," Marvelous said late that afternoon, getting to his feet and pulling on his coat.

"But Marvelous, I've already started!" Doc exclaimed.

"Well, then, have bigger meals yourselves. I am going out." He walked over to Luka, who looked up at him, confused. "Here," he said, shoving something into her left hand, while grabbing her right hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Marvelous, stop!" she said, aiming a slap at the back of his head. As though expecting it, he expertly ducked, but she had succeeded in stopping him in his tracks. "Where are you going?"

"_We_ are going out to a nice restaurant, as promised," Marvelous said, trying to hide his uncertainty behind his usual bravado. "I did say I would take you to make up for spoiling your chance with that Ako kid."

"Akio," Luka absently corrected. "And what is this?" she held up the gift Marvelous had shoved in her left hand. It was a large, beautiful diamond pendant.

"Well, I said I could buy you jewellery, didn't I?" he said, embarrassed. "And before you say anything, I used my own money, not the ship's."

Luka just looked at him, bewildered. Assuming his usual countenance, Marvelous said, "We're leaving now. Captain's orders."

And with that, they were gone, leaving a baffled crew behind them.

_Yes_, Gai thought. _I must be dreaming_.

**The end. Fin.**

**See what I mean about overt OOC-ness? I really struggled to give these pirates their happy-ish endings while staying in character, so eventually gave up and just embraced the bad characterisation. Go me!**

**A special thanks to SirKoji who helped me out with honorifics, and told me the -kun is used from girl to boy, often indicating a close or romantic bond.**

**And also a mention to MidnightRosebud - thanks to your wonderful story "Once Upon a Time", I can no longer think of Ahim as a young girl without thinking about fairytales :p**

**I hope that wasn't too terrible an ending! Thanks for sticking with me throughout,**

**Have a great day/week/year/life**

**Little Goose**


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